Rich Ahrens wrote:

Imagine an auto accident. Someone publishes in a widely read journal, "I
can't help but think this fellow was drunk on his ass and killed himself
and his passenger by running into that bridge." Then it turns out the
driver was a teetotaler and the crash was caused by a sudden mechanical
failure. You don't think the driver's survivors would be justified in
going after the false accusation?

Under U.S. law, only if they can prove that the accusation caused injury.

George Patterson
Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to
use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.